Raising bilingual children in a monolingual society
No es tan fácil ...
but it’s well worth the challenge!

By Ruth Kunstadter

Keeping Spanish language alive is easier said than done for Latino families living in the United States. The second generation is finding that they often lack the same motivation to keep the language alive as their parents. But all is not lost! It takes extra effort but the linguistic and cultural payoffs are tremendous!

Are you satisfied with how much Spanish your children can speak?

Are your children connected to their cultural heritage?

How do you raise bilingual and bicultural kids in a monolingual environment?

There is no such thing as a “typical” Latino family, but one thing is certain. Latinos are proud of their heritage, and consider Spanish to be an important part of their cultural identity -- whether or not they themselves can speak it fluently. But keeping the Spanish language and culture alive is a challenge for many Latino families in the United States.

Even with the Latin “boom” which is shaking the airwaves in every rincón, many children in bilingual homes simply feel more comfortable in English. While they probably speak Spanish with their abuelos, they often resist speaking Spanish to their own parents -- not surprisingly, since most of their day is conducted in English. They go to school in English, watch TV in English, hang out in English.

Many Hispanic parents wish their children spoke more Spanish -- and in fact, wish that they themselves spoke more Spanish to their children.

“Unfortunately, I speak more English than Spanish with my children. I probably speak Spanish only about 20 percent of the time with them, and they with me,” says Zoraida V., a teacher and bilingual psychologist of Puerto Rican descent who lives in New Jersey with her three children, ages 14, 18 and 21. Her sentiment is echoed by Itzel S., born in Panama, and mother of a 10 year old daughter in the Washington, D.C. area: “I wish I could speak more Spanish with my daughter, but she’s very reluctant to speak Spanish with me.”

“My children really only speak Spanish to their grandparents,” recounts María S., a Salvadoran-born artist who lives with her three children and her Mexican/Puerto Rican husband in the San Francisco Bay Area. “I think that tends to be the case in most second generation Latino homes -- the kids understand and speak Spanish, but they identify more with the English language because that is what they are surrounded with on a day-to-day basis.” María’s experience reflects a very typical bilingual family situation, with primarily Spanish-speaking grandparents, Spanish/English bilingual parents, and primarily English-speaking children. In fact, all of the parents interviewed for this article said that the time when their children are most likely to communicate in Spanish is with their abuelos.

Typically, Spanish-speaking parents will speak Spanish to their children, especially the first-born, while the children are young and in the home full-time. But as the children move into elementary school -- and a more predominantly English-speaking environment -- some begin to resist speaking Spanish. While they usually still understand Spanish perfectly, they will answer in English. “My daughter is totally bilingual in her comprehension,” notes Itzel, “she just doesn’t want to talk.”

As more children are born in the household, less and less Spanish is spoken, and often the youngest ones struggle even with the comprehension. “My oldest understands Spanish,” says Ana R., a native of Perú with two elementary-aged children in New Jersey. “But my youngest doesn’t want to speak it.”

Another common scenario is that the bilingual parent may fear that speaking Spanish will confuse their child and slow his or her progress in school, so they stop speaking Spanish to the child. One parent interviewed says she made a conscious decision to stop speaking Spanish with her child after she noticed his confusion in a pre-school Mommy-and-Me music class: “All the animals in the song were saying different sounds than what he had learned!” As with many parents who have made a similar choice, she now is making a concerted effort to bring more Spanish back into her children’s lives: “I’m making an effort to speak more Spanish with them now.”

Of course, there are some times when many Latino parents are almost sure to speak to their children in Spanish: “¡Cuando te molestas, todo sale en español!”, assures Ana.

In addition to the Spanish language, Hispanic parents want to share their cultural traditions with their children. Not surprisingly, food, music and dance are key themes here. “We have really large family gatherings with food, music and dancing,” says María. Television can also play an important role -- especially telenovelas! Several parents interviewed noted that their kids loved to watch telenovelas with them. As long as the content isn’t too “raunchy,” as one parent warned, the novelas are a great way to hear real conversational Spanish. Unfortunately, there is not much for the age group between “Dora the Explorer” and the more adult-oriented programming of the novelas, entertainment and news shows.

Y todos están de acuerdo -- reading in Spanish with children is a must. Most parents feel that it doesn’t really matter if the books are bilingual or only in Spanish, or whether they are original literature or translations of English favorites. Just the action of sitting down to read in Spanish with their child is a moment to treasure, and a way to reinforce their culture and their language.

“I read to them in Spanish,” says Zoraida. “We listen to and dance to Spanish music. We talk about all the Spanish dishes at home and we cook together. I talk to them about my experiences in Puerto Rico, our customs and traditions. And we talk about how important it is not to lose the traditions and the culture.”

What about Spanish in school? It can be a wonderful way to reinforce what the children already know from home -- or it can be a frustrating exercise for both the child and the teacher. Both María and Itzel are fortunate to have been able to enroll their children in Spanish immersion programs, where specific classes such as math, science or social studies are taught entirely in Spanish. But others have not been so happy with their children’s experiences in Spanish class: if the class is not challenging enough, or if it focuses only on vocabulary and grammar, with no emphasis on practical use or conversation, the children are likely to “zone out”. Maybe this is where the line from the Cheech and Chong song comes from: “Mexican Americans...go to night school, and they take Spanish and get a B.” (There is a growing movement to change the way all languages are taught in the United States, and a related movement to design specific programs for heritage speakers. All students will ultimately benefit from this.)

What can you do to encourage your children to teach Spanish and to connect more closely with their cultural heritage?
There is no question that the best way for children to learn a language is in an immersion environment. If you can send them to spend a few weeks over the summer with their abuelos, tíos y primos in a Spanish-speaking country, do it! At home, speak as much Spanish as you can. Play games in Spanish – count in Spanish when you’re jumping rope, buy a pirinola and play it with them, teach them a game from your childhood. Watch TV in Spanish, take a dance class together, cook together.

What if they’re resistant to speaking Spanish? Combine it with a love they already have. If they love to play soccer, play it in Spanish -- what kid could resist the opportunity to shout “¡¡¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!”? If they love music, support that interest, but with sabor latino. Itzel knows that her daughter, who resists speaking Spanish at home, has a love for music, especially Shakira and Thalia. The 10-year-old who “won’t speak Spanish” knows every song by heart and sings them to the letter. Itzel continues to encourage her daughter’s interest by taking her to concerts (most recently Carlos Vives, but she is waiting for Shakira to come to the DC area!) and watching festivals such as Viña del Mar with her daughter on TV.

Take advantage of small opportunities every day. And most of all, talk about your experiences and how much you value your language and your culture. Sus hijos se lo van a agradecer.

Las Mamás Dicen .......

“I only speak Spanish with my children about 10 percent of the time. I know I need to work on this.” (María, native of El Salvador and mother of three in the SF Bay Area)

“!Cuando te molestas, todo sale en español!” (Ana, Peruvian, mother of two in New Jersey)

“Everything they do and face is in English. All of their favorite shows are in English. Their friends speak mostly English, and we speak mostly English in the home, too.” (María, see above)

“I think in the Spanish language, it is very important to incorporate the cultural values and traditions, because without it, you don’t get a true sense and taste of the heritage.” (Zoraida, Puerto Rican, mother of three)

“She loves the music; she loves Shakira and Thalia. That helps a lot because she learns the songs and likes singing them in Spanish.” (Itzel, from Panama, mother of a 10-year-old in the Washington, DC area)

Did You Know?

The US Census Bureau reports that the nation’s Hispanic population is expected to jump to 49.3 million from 38.2 million by 2015. The 39 million Hispanics currently living in the USA make up 12.5% of the total population.

Spanish is the world’s third most spoken language, after Mandarin Chinese and English, and ranks second in terms of native speakers.

At the end of the 19th century, 60 million people spoke Spanish. Today, almost 500 million people worldwide speak Spanish!

29 million US residents above the age of 5 speak Spanish at home. That’s approximately 1 of every 10 US residents, an enormous consumer and business-to-business market.

Hispanic consumers are the fastest-growing market segment in North America. Their population in the USA has grown by 60% in just one decade and their buying power is expected to exceed $926 million by 2007.

The major cities with Hispanic/Latino populations are New York (over 2 million), Los Angeles (over 1 million), Chicago, Houston, and Miami. The southwestern states traditionally have a very large Hispanic/Latino population, as do large urban areas, but smaller and more rural areas are also growing in Hispanic population. For example, the Latino population of Durham, NC has grown 500% in the last five years.

Above statistics from: www.donquijote.org/

Hispanic or Latino?

The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are often used interchangeably. Some feel that the term “Hispanic” is more of a political term created by the government, whereas the term “Latino” originated within the community itself. Also, many prefer “Latino” since it relates more to Latin America, where most U.S. Latinos/Hispanics are from, as opposed to “Hispanic,” which relates more directly to Spain. Here is an excellent resource on the history and politics of these two terms: www.lasculturas.com/aa/aa070501a.htm

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Ruth Kunstadter makes it easy for Spanish teachers and bilingual families to inspire kids to love Spanish and learn about Latino culture and heritage at the same time. Visit Ruth at www.chispaproductions.com to find more tips on teaching Spanish with Sabor Latino!

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